Campaign 6: Ethersea

Ethersea
Vital statistics
Genre	Comedy Adventure Science Fantasy
Opening Theme	The Adventure Zone: Ethersea Theme by Griffin McElroy
Air dates	5/06/21 - Present
Total Length	TBD
Episodes	TBD
Game	The Quiet Year, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
Game Master	Griffin McElroy
Players	Justin McElroy as Amber Gris Travis McElroy as Devo la Main Clint McElroy as Zoox
Campaign Guide
Previous	Inheritance
Next	TBD

“

Travelers from four war-torn kingdoms congregate at the edge of a fearsome storm, following a divine invitation emanating from deep within the Ethersea.

”

—MaxFun Summary

Ethersea is the sixth and current campaign of The Adventure Zone, and the fourth primary season of the show.

Premise

Travelers from four war-torn kingdoms - the Hominine, the Einarr, the Southern Archipelago, and the Delmer - congregate at the edge of a fearsome storm, following a divine invitation emanating from deep within the Ethersea.

The first five episodes of the season form a Prologue, detailing the events leading up to the formation of the city of Founders' Wake in the face of the oncoming storm. These episodes were played using The Quiet Year, a worldbuilding and map-making game by Avery Alder. The maps created by the boys in those episodes can be viewed here.

The subsequent episodes of Ethersea are played using a homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 5e system, informed by the events of the prologue.

Characters

Player Characters

• Justin McElroy as Amber Gris
• Travis McElroy as Devo la Main
• Clint McElroy as Zoox Anthellae

Fanart of Zoox, Devo, and Amber by @allofthenorth.

NPCs

Major NPCs

Prologue NPCs

• Ampersand Five
• Boyar Hermine
• Declan Cern
• Enos
• Finneas Cawl
• Hand of Guidance

Campaign NPCs

• Aloysius Supreme
• Ampersand Five
• Ballaster Hermine
• Ballaster Oksana Kodeira
• Brother Seldom
• The Curator
• Felix
• Finneas Cawl
• Hand of Guidance
• Ol' Joshy
• Ravi Montrell
• Shret
• Tessellation
• Urchin

Minor NPCs

• Adelaide
• Beck
• Chauncey
• Crumb
• Dolores
• Dr. Shaq
• Emery
• Heretic Knob
• Jeremy
• Mona (Desdemona)
• Nermal
• Skittles
• Teddy
• The Cobalt Star

Antagonists

• Guthrie
• Benefactor Orlene
• The Red Squares
• The Auctioneer
• Cambria

Ships

• The Biggest Baby
• Dreams of Deborah
• The Coriolis
• The Gut Punch

Rules of Ethersea

1. Everybody's got a knife.
2. There's a hole for that.
3. Urchin is never where you need him to be.
4. Skunknuts Wine goes through you like an ape.
5. Hominines love homonyms.
6. Crypto is illegal.

Arcs

Prologue

The gang plays the Quiet Year and builds the world of Ethersea.

Title	Air Date	Link	Runtime
Ethersea – Prologue I: Our Wasted World	May 6, 2021	Listen	1:30:15
Travelers from four war-torn kingdoms congregate at the edge of a fearsome storm, following a divine invitation emanating from deep within the Ethersea. Join us as we build our next campaign while playing The Quiet Year, a brilliant mapmaking game designed and written by Avery Alder.
Ethersea — Prologue II: The Cost of Opportunity	May 13, 2021	Listen	1:15:03
Forgotten relics from the past are unearthed and put to use as the shoreside community continues plotting their undersea departure.
Ethersea - Prologue III: The Comfort of Guilt	May 27, 2021	Listen	1:04:12
The shoreside community stands divided over their priorities as the storm looms ever closer.
Ethersea — Prologue IV: The Hierarchy of Terror	June 10, 2021	Listen	1:09:22
New dangers loom over the shoreside community as the rest of the mortal world retreats from the storm.
Ethersea — Prologue V: The Weight of History	June 24, 2021	Listen	1:53:51
Winter arrives. The shoreside community begins the arduous process of migrating to their new undersea home. A suspiciously dormant kingdom plays its final, cataclysmic hand. Our Prologue draws to a close.

The Gallery Job

The gang tries to get a job with the Blue Span Contractors

Title	Air Date	Link	Runtime
Ethersea – Episode 1	July 8, 2021	Listen	1:25:55
A Finner, an Orator, and a Brinarr walk into a bar. Well, first they walk into a job interview, and it doesn't go so great, so THEN they walk into a bar.
Ethersea – Episode 2	July 22, 2021	Listen	1:01:40
Three prospective contractors for the Bluespan Brokerage embark on their first, questionable voyage in the waters surrounding Founder’s Wake. A lucrative, outrageously spicy opportunity presents itself along the way.
Ethersea – Episode 3	August 5, 2021	Listen	1:28:07
The Gallery Job: Part Three A brief diversion during their first undersea voyage has proven to be far more arduous (and far more dangerous) than our heroes initially expected. A race for the prize breaks out with a new, well-armed competitor.
Ethersea – Episode 4	August 12, 2021	Listen	1:10:21
As one crisis interrupts another, the Dreams of Deborah’s plucky crew must weigh their priorities. A Brinarr precariously teeters on the brink of death.
Ethersea – Episode 5	August 19, 2021	Listen	1:16:50
Our three intrepid Etherseafarers have survived their first gig, though, boy howdy, it was a close one. With Lux in hand, they go shopping for a gently used ship to call home.

Undersea Interlude 1

Title	Air Date	Link	Runtime
Ethersea – Episode 6	August 26, 2021	Listen	1:00:01
Our heroes take their new ship to a VERY familiar aftermarket vendor, tacking on a few much-needed improvements. We spend a bit of time talking character classes, and finally come up with a name for the crew’s new vessel!

The Infinite Clam

The gang is hired by the Benevolent parish to track down a missing Benefactor Orlean.

Title	Air Date	Link	Runtime
Ethersea – Episode 7	September 2, 2021	Listen	1:11:11
The newly employed crew of the Coriolis take on their first official job with the Bluespan Brokerage. Devo confronts his past as he crosses paths with the leaders of the Benevolent Parish.
Ethersea – Episode 8	September 9, 2021	Listen	1:05:10
The Coriolis is visited by an inscrutable little guy whose name definitely does not appear on the manifest. They reach their destination in the Phytal Flats, and then things go very south, very quickly.
Ethersea – Episode 9	September 16, 2021	Listen	1:11:57
The heroes fend off a curious lionfish while getting their bearings within a curious bivalve. A slapdash infiltration brings them face-to-face with the Super Captain. We all love the Super Captain!
Ethersea – Episode 10	September 30, 2021	Listen	1:05:49
A surprising revelation about their enlarged environment sends Amber on a trip down memory lane. Unstable energies further discombobulate the Coriolis crew’s sense of scale.
Ethersea – Episode 11	October 7, 2021	Listen	1:02:30
The crew of the Coriolis approach the anomaly that has trapped them in their current bivalve environ. Amber takes a dive. Devo exercises surprising restraint. Zoox experiences a metaphysical identity crisis.
Ethersea – Episode 12	October 14, 2021	Listen	1:04:57
Amber, Devo and Zoox face off against foes both tangible and cerebral, within and without, ancient and new. The Infinite Clam’s power is harnessed at great cost.

Undersea Interlude 2

Title	Air Date	Link	Runtime
Ethersea – Episode 13	October 21, 2021	Listen	1:01:40
With their first proper mission under their belt, the crew of the Coriolis attempt a series of negotiations with mixed results. A night at the Cloaca forges new friendships, while morning at the Gills forges new ... enemyships.

The Abyssal Auction

The gang is hired by Ol' Joshy to attend a clandestine auction.

Title	Air Date	Link	Runtime
Ethersea – Episode 14	October 28, 2021	Listen	53:41
The crew of the Coriolis take on a new mission, one that exchanges the slimy hazards of enormous mollusks for the slimy hazards of good old-fashioned capitalism. Let’s have a money fight!
Ethersea – Episode 15	November 4, 2021	Listen	1:20:50
After an unfortunate journey, the Coriolis arrives at a fancy, clandestine deep sea auction house. Time to do what exactly one-third of this party is good at: Shmoozing the room.
Ethersea – Episode 16	November 11, 2021	Listen	1:00:24
Let the money fight commence! As our turquoise heroes bid to claim their quarry, their opponents move against them, mostly because of the many terrible impressions they made in the previous episode.
Ethersea – Episode 17	November 18, 2021	Listen	56:28
Following a tense exchange of money and merchandise, all heck has broken loose. Can the auction’s bidders survive an assault from within — and without?
Ethersea – Episode 18	November 25, 2021	Listen	1:13:14
The Coriolis crew collect their winnings — among other things — and begin their extraction from a doomed deep sea marketplace. A slight complication: The deep sea marketplace is trying to doom them as well.
Ethersea – Episode 19	December 2, 2021	Listen	57:33
With the auction house’s security systems thwarted, the facility’s survivors attempt a hasty retreat. Zoox does what Zoox does best: Networking with unidentified, dangerous sea life.

Undersea Interlude 3

Title	Air Date	Link	Runtime
Ethersea – Episode 20	December 9, 2021	Listen	59:15
The crew of the Coriolis returns from another pseudo-successful mission to gather up their earnings. Unknown collateral damage surfaces, and initiates a series of most unfortunate events.
Ethersea – Episode 21	December 16, 2021	Listen	1:16:35
Zoox, Devo and Amber take care of some personal business before the start of their next mission. Zoox learns about his birthday. Amber catches up with an old friend. Devo secures an unexpected modeling contract.

Cambria's Call

Title	Air Date	Link	Runtime
Ethersea – Episode 22	January 7, 2022	Listen	1:03:38
A once-vanquished threat descends upon Founder’s Wake, shaking the city’s fragile foundation to its core. A lost hero is called back into action. A voice beckons from beneath the ocean’s floor. The Coriolis crew gets sidelined.
Ethersea – Episode 23	January 13, 2022	Listen	1:12:20
Founder’s Wake has been transformed. As Devo and Amber adjust to their new piscine features, Finneas Cawl seeks to further reawaken his memories. A search for contraband reagents begins.
Ethersea - Episode 24	January 20, 2022	Listen	1:00:03
A completely unnecessary bar fight has broken out at an otherwise quiet marshland bar and grill. As Devo and Zoox clean up their mess, Amber chases down a former friend-turned-smuggler.
Ethersea - Episode 25	January 27, 2022	Listen	1:11:23
Amber, Devo and Zoox continue their wild swamp chase to track down Shret. Everyone prepares for a stroll down Memory Lane.
Ethersea - Episode 26	February 3, 2022	Listen	1:11:33
From the bottom of the sea, from the deepest reaches of Finneas Cawl’s mind, a voice beckons. Devo, Zoox and Amber cease to be – all in an effort to answer.
Ethersea - Episode 27	February 10, 2022	Listen	1:23:56
Cambria makes their intentions known as Finneas Cawl’s doomed voyage reaches a grisly end. Zoox does some long overdue soul searching.
Ethersea - Episode 28	February 17, 2022	Listen	1:20:11
The crew of the Coriolis search for every advantage they can get their hands on before challenging the entity at the bottom of the sea. A relic from a long lost empire is unearthed.
Ethersea - Episode 29	February 24, 2022	Listen	0:58:49
Following an unexpected encounter with Amber's sworn foe, the Coriolis arrives at Cambria's deep sea dwelling. Devo, Amber and Zoox whip up an unconventionally stealthy plan of attack.
Ethersea - Episode 30	March 3, 2022	Listen	1:08:15
Zoox, Devo and Amber finally go toe-to-toe with an ancient, evolutionary force, leaning on an uneasy alliance with The Biggest Baby to do so.

The Menagerie

Title	Air Date	Link	Runtime
Ethersea - Episode 31	March 17, 2022	Listen	1:00:05
After a period of enjoying their newfound infamy, the crew of the Coriolis take on a mission to recover rare animals which have gone missing.
Ethersea - Episode 32	March 24, 2022	Listen	1:06:17
The Coriolis crew investigates the high-profile bovine burglary they’ve been tasked with solving, bringing them into dangers both interpersonal and spectral.
Ethersea - Episode 33	March 31, 2022	Listen	1:20:08
Devo, Zoox and Amber infiltrate the headquarters of the Crescendo, separately, and with varying levels of success. Devo goes undercover. Zoox boards a familiar vessel. Amber has an unexpected run-in with the wildlife.
Ethersea - Episode 34	April 7, 2022	Listen	1:15:59
The crew of the Coriolis has become just as endangered as the animals they’ve been tasked with recovering. Amber saddles up. Devo unmasks a mastermind. Zoox causes some collateral damage.
Ethersea - Episode 35	April 14, 2022	Listen	1:08:23
Team Coriolis deals with the aftermath of a rash and explosive decision. Zoox sifts through the wreckage. Amber gives ‘em the runaround. Devo confronts the man behind the curtain.
Ethersea - Episode 36	April 21, 2022	Listen	1:21:43
The Coriolis crew race to save the animals from a sinking ship. Amber takes up arms against the hunters. Zoox tests his communication skills. Devo gets some unexpected news.

Undersea Interlude 4

Title	Air Date	Link	Runtime
Ethersea – Episode 37	April 28, 2022	Listen	1:00:50
The Coriolis returns from its latest explosive outing, and its crew begins investigating the death of a Founder’s Wake icon. Needless to say, their search for justice rubs some people the wrong way.
Ethersea – Episode 38	May 20, 2022	Listen	1:13:30
Tensions are high after a spirited argument at the Cloaca. A shadowy figure on the periphery of the Coriolis’ view steps into the light, and reveals something that kinda resembles the truth. Also: Shopping!

Benefactor's Folly

Title	Air Date	Link	Runtime
Ethersea – Episode 39	May 26, 2022	Listen	1:13:06
The crew of the Coriolis, with Ballaster Kodira in tow, set off to hunt down Benefactor Orlean before his plans come to fruition. As is so often the case, they get thoroughly distracted along the way.
Ethersea - Episode 40	June 2, 2022	Listen	1:26:01
The Coriolis responds to an ear-splitting hail seemingly received from a familiar adversary. The Benefactor’s ruse is revealed, and only Zoox, Devo, Amber and Kodira can stop it. A trio of archnemeses make their final stand.